Founded in 2014, Yacht Harbour has now gone through nearly 3 years of rapid growth, packed with milestones and interesting events. In this list are 11 things about Yacht Harbour that are not widely known, but we thought were interesting enough to share.
#1 Yacht Harbour started as an Instagram channel
Even though Yacht Harbour's initial plan was to build a web platform for a marketplace of yachts for sale, the company started an Instagram account in August 2014 to get some sort of traction, ahead of the launch of its website in December of that year.
At a time when no yachting media companies were on the platform, the strategy proved successful and saw Yacht Harbour get to 10,000 followers in under 4 months. This, in turn, proved instrumental to getting the first users to Yacht Harbour.
#2 We power instant results for a Top 5 search engine
Another little known fact about Yacht Harbour is that the company's index powers an instant result snippet for search engine, DuckDuckGo. One of the 5 available search settings on an iPhone, DuckDuckGo is a search engine built with privacy in mind.
Any user searching for a particular yacht on the platform, will see on top of search results an image of the yacht with it's main specifications, which DuckDuckGo displays using an API built by Yacht Harbour on top of its database for the search engine.
#3 News coverage was first meant as a content marketing play
Even though our audience is now spread evenly across its superyacht marketplace and its news section, Yacht Harbour's editorial coverage was started only in October 2015 to act as a content marketing vehicle for its search platform.
Despite these plans, news coverage rapidly evolved and grew to serve the purposes of a true media company, which Yacht Harbour has since become. Stories broken by our news department are now often used as sources by international media such as the BBC, CNBC and others.
#4 We built a chat bot to answer any yachting question
Developed in a wave of growing excitement over chat bots, Brook became the first chat bot in yachting that used a combination of machine learning, natural language recognition and big data to answer any question related to yacht.
Although Brook was since retired due to a lack of users, Yacht Harbour did manage to build a working version, answering over 80% of asked questions. Its original interface can still be seen here. When live it was even accessible from the Telegram messaging platform.
#5 Our content can be found on Forbes and Business Insider
As part of its content distribution strategy, Yacht Harbour struck deals with Business Insider to distribute part of its English-language content and to contribute stories to the French and Russian versions of Forbes.
With news stories around yachting and articles trying to open up the field to a more general audience, this content was read over 2 million times so far in 2017.
#6 We ran a crowdfunding campaign in our first year
Far from today's peak of attention around ICOs, Yacht Harbour ran a crowdfunding campaign in 2015 as an experiment, ahead of the launch of its charter marketplace to offer heavily discounted deals and lifetime advantages for participants.
Through the campaign, Yacht Harbour raised just under $3,000 from a series of contributors. The value of some the items offered then by Yacht Harbour has grown over 1,000x today.
#7 We get 10 million impressions of our content every month
Having rapidly grown from the 23 visitors Yacht Harbour on the day of it's launch, the company's combined channels now reach over 10 million impressions every month. This figure includes Yacht Harbour's website traffic, social media reach and audience on third-party platforms.
#8 There are sometimes easter eggs on Yacht Harbour
Sometimes overtaken by the holiday spirit, Yacht Harbour's homepage can sometimes change to adopt a special skin for limited times as seen above. So far, the company has dressed up its website for Halloween, Christmas and New Year's Eve but other events may soon be coming.
#9 One million minutes are spent watching Yacht Harbour's videos monthly
Playing an increasingly important role for any media company, videos have been a key to Yacht Harbour's success as well with over 800 days worth of videos being watched on our platform every month. The latest Black Pearl video alone reached over 3 million impressions on our network.
#10 Our Facebook page outranks its nearest competition 10 to 1
Owing much of its success to social media, Yacht Harbour has always tried to dominate the space in the superyacht sector and Facebook is currently the most reflective of this paradigm. Whereas Yacht Harbour gets 36,500 engagements on its page every week, the nearest competition currently sits at 3,300 engagements per week.
#11 It took us over 20,000 hours to build the Timeline platform
A major step forward in yacht search, Yacht Harbour's Timeline platform was launched in May 2017 after over 20,000 hours of research. The platform, compared to a Bloomberg terminal for yachting, lets its subscribers track the market in real time, discover the story behind any yacht and find the best deals on the market with big data.
Photos by Julien Hubert
Mengi Yay Shipyard has successfully launched the Atlante Classic 35, a new explorer yacht designed for luxury expedition cruising. The vessel marks the shipyard’s first foray into the luxury yacht market following its traditional focus on commercial vessels.The 35-meter yacht features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, designed by Mengi Yay’s in-house team. The vessel is equipped with twin Caterpillar C18 engines, providing a top speed of 15 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots. The yacht has a range of 4,000 nautical miles at 10 knots.The Atlante Classic 35 can accommodate up to 12 guests across 6 staterooms, including a master suite, VIP suite, and four guest cabins. The crew accommodation consists of 8 cabins for the crew of 10. The yacht features a spacious main deck saloon, an upper deck sky lounge, and an open flybridge with alfresco dining facilities.The interior design focuses on a contemporary style with natural materials and neutral tones. Key features include a large beach club area with a garage for water toys, a gym, and a spa area. The yacht is also equipped with zero-speed stabilizers for enhanced comfort at anchor.“The Atlante Classic 35 represents a significant milestone for Mengi Yay,” said Mehmet Mengi, CEO of Mengi Yay Shipyard. “We are proud to introduce our first luxury explorer yacht, combining our decades of experience in shipbuilding with modern technology and design.”The vessel is designed for worldwide exploration, featuring a shallow draft of 2.2 meters and a fuel capacity of 45,000 liters. The Atlante Classic 35 also incorporates advanced navigation systems and a state-of-the-art stabilization system.The yacht’s construction began in 2023, and after its launch, it will undergo extensive sea trials and final outfitting before delivery to its owner. The Atlante Classic 35 is expected to be completed in early 2025.Mengi Yay Shipyard, founded in 1972, is one of Turkey’s leading shipbuilders with a focus on commercial vessels. The launch of the Atlante Classic 35 marks the company’s expansion into the luxury yacht market.Credits: Mengi Yay
June 2, 2025
Moonen Yachts has secured the sale of its seventh 37.4-meter Martinique model (YN205) through IYC brokers Matthew Stone and Josh Marshall. The transaction marks the second in-house sale since IYC became Moonen's global sales representative.The American buyer selected the Dutch-built yacht for its customizable layout and indoor-outdoor connectivity. Construction will now extend beyond the original four-week delivery timeline to accommodate owner-requested modifications, including a hot tub installation."This sale demonstrates Moonen's flexibility in meeting client needs," said Matthew Stone, IYC Managing Partner. "The yard stood out among six competitors for its balance of quality, comfort and safety."Designed by René van der Velden with naval architecture by Diana Yacht Design, the 345GT Martinique features Hollander Yacht Design interiors. The yacht will undergo sea trials in the Netherlands before delivery to the U.S. East Coast later this year.Richard Gray, IYC's Head of Sales UK, noted: "This transaction reflects the effective collaboration between IYC and Moonen Yachts in our global representation partnership."The Martinique series continues to attract buyers seeking semi-custom steel-hulled yachts with Dutch engineering. Current construction progress indicates on-schedule completion of the customized modifications prior to sea trials.Moonen Yachts is a yacht builder based in the Netherlands, and its first yacht was built in 1964 under the original yard name of De Ruiter. In 1981, the yard was renamed Moonen Shipyards. It’s launching its first vessel under new ownership: Alhena. In 2017 Moonen Shipyards changed into Moonen Yachts. With the help of strong vision, innovative technology and new designers, Moonen is once again becoming the market leader in 30m to 50m luxury yachts.Credits: Moonen Yachts
June 2, 2025
Turkish yacht builder Numarine has launched two new explorer yachts - the 37-meter 37XP (hull 18) and 26-meter 26XP (hull 27), with a 32.6-meter 32XP (hull 14) scheduled for June delivery. All models feature designs by Umberto Tagliavini (naval architecture) and Can Yalman (exterior/interior)."The XP Series remains one of the most successful explorer ranges in the industry," stated Numarine Chairman Ömer Malaz. "Our yachts from 22 to 47 meters combine stylish design with functional features including ample storage and noise reduction."37XPThe new 37XP flagship offers 362 GT volume and 6,000 nm range at 8 knots. Its layout includes seven guest cabins, with main deck master suite and upper deck VIP option. The 83 m² flybridge and 9-meter tender storage highlight its expedition capabilities.32XPThe 32XP model maintains its position as the series' original offering since 2017, with 4,000+ nm range and six-cabin configuration. The 26XP features four cabins and 3,000 nm range, with optional solar panels and lithium batteries.32XPAll three yachts utilize steel hulls with composite superstructures, emphasizing long-range cruising and onboard comfort. The launches precede the anticipated July 2025 debut of Numarine's new 40MXP model.26XPNumarine, a European high-performance motor-yacht shipyard headquartered in Istanbul, offers a range of yachts from 19 to 45 meters.Credits: Kerem Sanliman; Ryan Alexander; all provided by Numarine
June 2, 2025
Oyster Yachts has introduced its new 24-meter 805 sailing yacht, developed with Humphreys Yacht Design. The model features a twin-access swim platform, configurable interior layouts, and solar-powered hardtop.CEO Ashley Highfield confirmed first delivery for 2027. The yacht offers 3.4-meter or 2.7-meter keel options, with the latter complying with Mediterranean seagrass regulations.Former Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös joins as strategic advisor, stating: "Oyster is very similar to what Rolls-Royce is all about with its relentless striving for perfection."The 805 includes four convertible guest cabins and Oyster's largest sub-30-meter owner's suite. Standard features include ultra-thin marble surfaces and 3kW solar generation.Oyster Yachts was founded in 1973 by Richard Matthews. For 52 years the British brand has created the world’s finest luxury bluewater sailboats.Credits: Oyster Yachts
May 30, 2025
The 2025 ICOMIA Congress, hosted by Spain's ANEN in Palma de Mallorca, concluded yesterday after five days of meetings and events. The gathering, held concurrently with IFBSO's annual congress, brought together marine industry representatives, including Italy's delegation led by Andrea Razeto of the Italian Marine Industry Association.Key discussions centered on three committees chaired by Stefano Pagani Isnardi: the Technical Committee addressed upcoming revisions to the European Recreational Craft Directive; the Superyacht Division examined IMO greenhouse gas reduction proposals and French anchorage restrictions; while the new Trade and Market Intelligence Committee analyzed global tariff developments. ICOMIA has launched dedicated online resources for Posidonia meadow protection updates and tariff tracking.Frank Hugelmeyer (NMMA) was elected ICOMIA President, succeeding Darren Vaux, with Finnboat's Jarkko Pajusalo as Vice President. The board expanded to include representatives from Spain, Turkey, Sweden, and Australia alongside existing members.The 2026 Congress is scheduled for May 24-28 in Washington, D.C., hosted by NMMA.Credits: The Italian Marine Industry Association; Eugene Zhyvchik/Unsplash
May 30, 2025